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vegetarian is defined as someone living on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits, with or without the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or slaughter by-products.

Protein

Women need about 45g of protein a day (more if pregnant, lactating or very active), men need about 55g (more if very active). Evidence suggests that excess protein contributes to degenerative diseases. Vegetarians obtain protein from:

• Nuts: hazels, brazils, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine kernels etc.
• Seeds: sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, linseeds.
• Pulses: peas, beans, lentils, peanuts.
• Grains/cereals: wheat (in bread, flour, pasta etc), barley, rye, oats, millet, maize (sweetcorn), rice.
• Soya products: tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, veggieburgers, soya milk.
• Dairy products: milk, cheese, yoghurt (butter and cream are very poor sources of protein).
• Free range eggs.

You have may have heard that it is necessary to balance the complementary amino acids in a vegetarian diet. This is not as alarming as it sounds. Amino acids are the units from which proteins are made. There are 20 different ones in all. We can make many of them in our bodies by converting other amino acids, but eight cannot be made, they have to be provided in the diet and so they are called essential amino acids.

Single plant foods do not contain all the essential amino acids we need in the right proportions, but when we mix plant foods together, any deficiency in one is cancelled out by any excess in the other. We mix protein foods all the time, whether we are meat-eaters or vegetarians. It is a normal part of the human way of eating. A few examples are beans on toast, muesli, or rice and peas. Adding dairy products or eggs also adds the missing amino acids, eg macaroni cheese, quiche, porridge.

It is now known that the body has a pool of amino acids so that if one meal is deficient, it can be made up from the body's own stores. Because of this, we don't have to worry about complementing amino acids all the time, as long as our diet is generally varied and well-balanced. Even those foods not considered high in protein are adding some amino acids to this pool.

Structure & Functions

Proteins are highly complex molecules comprised of linked amino acids. Amino acids are simple compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and occasionally sulphur. There are about 20 different amino acids commonly found in plant and animal proteins. Amino acids link together to form chains called peptides. A typical protein may contain 500 or more amino acids. Each protein has it's own unique number and sequence of amino acids which determines it's particular structure and function.

Proteins are broken down into their constituent amino acids during digestion which are then absorbed and used to make new proteins in the body. Certain amino acids can be made by the human body. However, the essential amino acids cannot be made and so they must be supplied in the diet. The eight essential amino acids required by humans are: leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and lysine. For children, histidine is also considered to be an essential amino acid.

Proteins are essential for growth and repair. They play a crucial role in virtually all biological processes in the body. All enzymes are proteins and are vital for the body's metabolism. Muscle contraction, immune protection, and the transmission of nerve impulses are all dependent on proteins. Proteins in skin and bone provide structural support. Many hormones are proteins. Protein can also provide a source of energy. Generally the body uses carbohydrate and fat for energy but when there is excess dietary protein or inadequate dietary fat and carbohydrate, protein is used. Excess protein may also be converted to fat and stored.

Required Intakes The old Recommended Daily Amounts (RDA's) have now been replaced by the term Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI). The RNI is the amount of nutrient which is enough for at least 97% of the population. Research has shown that we do not need as much protein as previously thought. The recommended amounts of protein for adults and children has more than halved in the last 20 years.

Reference Nutrient Intakes for Protein, g/day. Age RNI . Age RNI 0 to 3 months 12.5g . Men 11 to 14 yrs 42.1g 4 to 6 months 12.7g . Men 15 to 18 yrs 55.2g 7 to 9 months 13.7g . Men 19 to 49 yrs 55.5g 10 to 12 months 14.9g . Men 50 + yrs 53.3g 1 to 3 yrs 14.5g . Women 11 to 14 yrs 41.2g 4 to 6 yrs 19.7g . Women 15 to 18 yrs 45.4g 7 to 10 yrs 28.3g . Women 19 to 49 yrs 45.0g

Previously, it has been thought that protein complementing needed to occur within a single meal. However, it is now known that this is not necessary as the body keeps a short-term store of the essential amino acids. A well-balanced vegetarian or vegan will easily supply all the protein and essential amino acids needed by the body.

Sources of protein (single servings)
Good sources		Fair Sources		Poor sources
Chick peas (200g or 7oz)	16.0g	Brown rice (200g or 7oz)	4.4g	1 Carrot	0.4g
Baked beans (225g or 8oz)	11.5g	Broccoli (100g or 3½oz)	3.1g	1 Apple	0.3g
Tofu (140g or 5oz)	10.3g	Potatoes (200g or 7oz)	2.8g	Cream, double (20g or 2/3oz)	0.3g
Cow's milk (½ pint)	9.2g	Porridge [water] (160g or 6oz)	2.4g	Butter/margarine	None
Lentils (120g or 4¼oz)	9.1g	-	-	Vegetable oil	None
Soya milk (½ pint)	8.2g	-	-	Sugar or syrup	None
Muesli (60g or 2¼oz)	7.7g	-	-	-	-
Egg, boiled	7.5g	-	-	-	-
Peanuts (30g or 1oz)	7.3g	-	-	-	-
Bread, (2 slices)	7.0g	-	-	-	-
Hard cheese (30g or 1oz)	6.8g	-

Vitamins

Vitamin is the name for several unrelated nutrients that the body cannot synthesise either at all, or in sufficient quantities. The one thing they have in common is that only small quantities are needed in the diet. The main vegetarian sources are listed below:

Vitamin A (or beta carotene): Red, orange or yellow vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, leafy green vegetables and fruits like apricots and peaches. It is added to most margarines.

B Vitamins: This group of vitamins includes B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalmin), folate, pantothenic acid and biotin.

All the B vitamins except B12 occur in yeasts and whole cereals (especially wheat germ), nuts & seeds, pulses and green vegetables.

Vitamin B12 is the only one that may cause some difficulty as it is not present in plant foods. Only very tiny amounts of B12 are needed and vegetarians usually get this from dairy produce and free range eggs. It is sensible for vegans and vegetarians who consume few animal foods to incorporate some B12 fortified foods in their diet. Vitamin B12 is added to yeast extracts, soya milks, veggieburgers and some breakfast cereals.

Vitamin C: Fresh fruit, salad vegetables, all leafy green vegetables and potatoes.

Vitamin D: This is vitamin is not found in plant foods but humans can make their own when skin is exposed to sunlight. It is also added to most margarines and is present in milk, cheese and butter. These sources are usually adequate for healthy adults. The very young, the very old and anyone confined indoors would be wise to take a vitamin D supplement especially if they consume very few dairy products.

Vitamin E: Vegetable oil, wholegrain cereals, eggs.

Vitamin K: Fresh vegetables, cereals and bacterial synthesis in the intestine.